AMD FreeSync 2 for Xbox One S and Xbox One X Next week, in the Xbox One alpha release ring, Microsoft will enable AMD FreeSync 2 for the Xbox One S and the Xbox One X. This allows compatible displays, ones that accept FreeSync variable refresh rate signals over HDMI, to time their refresh rate to the console’s rendering rate and removes the micro-stutter that could be seen due to this mismatch. PC Perspective

Inside Google's plan to make the whole web as fast as AMP In a blog post today, Google is announcing that it’s formally embarking on a project to convince the group in charge of web standards to adopt technology inspired by its Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) framework. In theory, it would mean that virtually any webpage could gain the same benefits as AMP: near-instantaneous loading, distribution on multiple platforms, and (critically) more prominent placement on Google properties. The Verge

GeForce Partner Program Impacts Consumer Choice To open up this bit of reporting, which will contain some editorial as well, I think our motives should be clear. In discussions with Nvidia over the last few weeks, Nvidia asked us exactly what our concerns were about the GPP program. This was our reply and should frame exactly why we are writing this. Kyle Bennett: "I think it [GPP] is going to greatly, and negatively, impact consumer choice in the AIB and OEM computer market..." HardOCP

Look-Alike Domains and Visual Confusion How good are you at telling the difference between domain names you know and trust and impostor or look-alike domains? The answer may depend on how familiar you are with the nuances of internationalized domain names (IDNs), as well as which browser or Web application you’re using. How good are you at telling the difference between domain names you know and trust and impostor or look-alike domains? Krebs on Security

Brain implants are happening — are you ready for yours? Brain implants or other types of neural links, such as Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) between the brain, the internet, and the cloud, are quickly entering the realm of science rather than science fiction. The Defense Advanced Research Agency is ready to run trials with closed-loop mood control chips linked to AI that can deliver an electrical impulse to regulate a soldier’s mood. In the private sector, Elon Musk has announced Neuralink — a neurotechnology venture that will not only focus on fighting diseases but also on augmenting humans so they can better compete with machines. The Next Web

The Next Battle Between States And The Feds Is Over Your Personal Data While the fight over net neutrality has attracted passion, press, and a flurry of lawsuits, another, related battle has smoldered for a year and is flaring up again. Happening in state capitals, it’s a surprising fight where traditional allies are taking opposite sides and frequent foes are joining together, focused on Congress’s decision to kill the rules that prevent internet service providers–including companies like Comcast, Charter, and Verizon–from selling their customers’ personal data. Fast Company

This Is What Happens When Bitcoin Miners Take Over Your Town Hands on the wheel, eyes squinting against the winter sun, Lauren Miehe eases his Land Rover down the main drag and tells me how he used to spot promising sites to build a bitcoin mine, back in 2013, when he was a freshly arrived techie from Seattle and had just discovered this sleepy rural community. The attraction then, as now, was the Columbia River, which we can glimpse a few blocks to our left. Politico

Apple updates its Made-for-iPhone (MFi) branding for accessory makers Apple’s Made-for-iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) licensing program is being updated with new branding that manufacturers will have to adopt over the coming months. 9to5Mac has confirmed the updated branding is now available for MFi partners, as first reported by Chargerlab. The new logos that will be used for products coming out of the MFi program are not a huge change from the previous branding, but they do notably remove icons representing actual devices in exchange for a simplified Apple logo and just the iOS device names in text. 9to5Mac

Is Google Going Underground With Hypersonic Tech? Google is carrying out research on hypersonics, probably for new technologies to slash the cost of geothermal energy and tunneling. It could also be acquiring a Washington-based startup called HyperSciences that has already built prototype devices. In January, Google signed a US $100,000 Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. The agreement says “Google’s research division is doing a conceptual exploration of hypersonic trajectories... IEEE Spectrum

Netflix tests gamification of children’s shows Netflix is testing out a new feature for children that lets them earn “patches” for watching episodes of certain shows. The new feature gamifies the streaming experience for kids, incentivizing them to watch particular shows that Netflix has picked out, as reported by Variety. The Verge

Generative Adversarial Networks — A Deep Learning Architecture Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs)Generative Adversarial Nets, or GAN, in short, are neural nets which were first introduced by Ian Goodfellowin 2014. The algorithm has been hailed as an important milestone in Deep learning by many AI pioneers. Yann Le Cunn (father of convolutional neural networks) [said] that GANs is the coolest thing that has happened in deep learning within the last 20 years. Hackernoon